State police: Windsor man arrested in connection to 2021 fatal hit-and-run in Wethersfield
A Windsor man has been charged in connection to a 2021 hit-and-run that killed two people and injured two others after they were struck by a car on Interstate 91 in Wethersfield, according to the Connecticut State Police.
Shawn Wright, 34, of Windsor, turned himself in at Troop H on Wednesday after learning of an active warrant for his arrest.
The fatal hit-and-run occurred around 4 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2021. Troopers were dispatched to I-91 North in Wethersfield near Exit 27 to investigate a report of a motor vehicle crash involving pedestrians.
State police said four people, who were involved in a collision beforehand, were standing outside their vehicle on the side of the road when a car struck them. Alberto Gonzalez Jr., 48, and Kariel Torres, 26, both of Massachusetts, sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other women from Massachusetts were transported to Hartford Hospital for treatment.
The involved vehicle evaded the scene, according to the state police.
During the investigation, state police collected pieces of the evading vehicle. Using the fragments, investigators determined that the car was a 2002-04 blue Honda CR-V, which sustained damage to the driver’s side front, according to state police. Video surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a dark blue Honda CR-V traveling on Brainard Road in Hartford with the front driver’s side headlight out shortly after the collision, state police said.
The Hartford Police Department contacted Troop H on Sept. 20, 2021, after they received a call saying that a blue Honda CR-V was parked behind a Hartford residence, state police said. The caller told police they learned of the car’s description from a news broadcast. Investigators responded and located a blue 2002 Honda CR-V that was partially covered with a tarp and had visible driver’s side front-end damage, state police said.
According to the state police, the Honda CR-V was registered at an address in Windsor. Troopers contacted the registered owner of the car who said Wright was in possession of the Honda on the day of the crash, state police said. Both the owner and Wright agreed to meet with investigators.
During his first interview, Wright said he was driving the Honda on the evening of Sept. 19, 2021. He told state police he had a mechanical issue, causing him to leave the car at an address in Hartford. Wright then told state police he borrowed a second car and traveled to New York, where he stayed overnight. The owner of the Honda met with investigators on Sept. 21 and said that on the morning of Sept. 19, Wright said he was in an accident while driving the Honda, according to state police.
During another interview with Wright, he said he was driving the Honda during the early morning hours of Sept. 19 on I-91 in the area of Exit 27. Based on that interview and other information gathered during the investigation, state police obtained an arrest warrant for Wright.
Wright was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with evading responsibility resulting in death and interfering with an officer.
Wright was transferred to Hartford Correctional Center and was held in lieu of a $30,000 bond. He was scheduled for arraignment at New Britain Superior Court on Thursday.
